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LANDIS — “Aw, why don’t you talk to someone that did a little something tonight,” said Rowan Legion coach Jim DeHart, laughing as he pointed a finger at Brad Canipe.
Canipe, just back from a whirlwind round of radio interviews, laughed right along with his coach. It was a pleasant sound — one that’s been missing too long from the Rowan dugout.
Canipe’s Legion season has been no laughing matter. Before Wednesday night, Canipe, expected to be one of Rowan’s top guns, hadn’t knocked in a run since June 6. His batting average was down to .152 and he was working on a 1-for-13 skid.
Everyone had a theory about Canipe’s woes— from the shrinking ozone layer to the alignment of the planets to Legion pitching being tougher than what North Rowan grad Canipe saw in high school. Whatever was behind it, Canipe’s slump is officially over. He hit his first two homers and drove in six runs — tripling his RBI total. He was the catalyst as Rowan outscored rival South Rowan 13-9 in Landis.
Half the huge crowd came to see Rowan humiliate South to avenge its earlier 11-4 loss. It didn’t happen. The other half came to see South pull off a repeat shocker. That didn’t happen either. Instead, what happened was Canipe.
Canipe, whom DeHart has kept in the lineup through thin and thinner, stepped to the plate in the first inning against South lefty Chris Morris with the bases full, one out and Rowan already ahead 1-0. A gale was howling directly in from center field, but on a 2-and-1 toss from Morris, Canipe turned the wind around.
“I know I can’t leave the guys out there,” said Canipe. “But I got the ball up there high, so I’m thinking, ‘Man, there’s no way that’s going out.’ “I thought the wind would pull it back. But I got lucky.”
When gravity finally returned Canipe’s mammoth blast to earth it landed in the school parking lot. It was Canipe’s first slam since he hit one against East Rowan more than two years ago. Instantly, Rowan led 5-0.
“That was the difference in the ballgame, right there,” said DeHart.
You could say that. Rowan got sloppy defensively (six errors), made some mental blunders and spent three hours looking over its shoulder, but South never climbed out of that hole Canipe shoveled. Canipe’s four-run wallop was a case of turnabout being fair play. When the teams met at Newman Park, a grand slam by South’s Adam Cornelius was the key blow. This time it was Rowan’s turn.
Canipe says his hitting hang-ups have been mental, not physical.
“Ninety percent of this game is mental,” said Canipe. “That’s what everybody says and I agree. I just needed a confidence boost.”
DeHart nodded.
“Coming as close as they did and then not winning the state championship, that set all those (North) kids back some. That’s not an easy thing to come back from,” he said. “But I do know that Canipe and (North’s Nate) Woodburn are an integral part of our lineup.”
Woodburn, who had two hits, has also rebounded. He’s upped his average 100 points in the past five games, is brimming with confidence and now sees himself as a batting guru.
“It was my advice that did it for Canipe,” he insisted. “Just ask him. I want major props.”
Canipe chuckled at Woodburn’s contribution, but did admit that his buddy had reminded him to do some little things he should have been doing all along.
Another North guy who finally looked like his old self was pitcher Brandon Doby who saved the game for starter Julian Sides (3-1). Doby pitched the last three innings as Rowan (15-7 overall, 14-4 league) held on.
“Doby pitched like he is capable,” said DeHart.
South coach Allen Wilson had hoped for a low-scoring game in which his team’s tight defense would make the difference. Instead he got a free-for-all. And when runs became cheap, Rowan, which hammered out 15 hits, had a decided edge.
South (6-14 overall, 6-12 league) made a determined comeback attempt, somehow scratching out nine runs on only six hits. It wasn’t absolutely, positively over until Rowan shortstop Cal Hayes Jr. turned Jeremy Alderman’s hot shot into a game-ending double play.
“You just can’t take those guys for granted,” said Rowan’s BrettPeiffer, who aided Canipe with a homer and three RBIs. “They find ways to keep eating away at ya. They’ve got a heck of a team.”
Down early 8-1, South got a chance to chew away at Rowan’s lead thanks to strong long relief work by John Brooks, who gave Wilson five good innings.
South had a legitimate shot at getting all the way back in the sixth, scoring three times on a two-run single by Alderman and Greg Deal’s hit to close to 9-7. The tying runs were at second and third with two outs with lefty slugger Drew Callicutt at the plate. That’s when DeHart surprised the world by replacing Sides, a lefty, with righty Shawn Trosper, who seldom pitchers.
“Trosper knows Callicutt (his West Rowan teammate) and said he could get him out with a breaking ball,” explained DeHart.
Trosper delivered on his claim. He got ahead in the count, then retired Callicutt on a weak grounder for the single biggest out of the night.
Rowan got two ninth-inning homers off Drew Lyerly who had previously escaped a couple of scrapes. Peiffer smacked a two-run shot and Canipe put the icing on his sweet night with a solo clout. Those two bombs finally pushed the game beyond South’s reach.
“I’m tickled to death with how we played after that first inning,” said Wilson. “We never quit. Yeah we lost, but Rowan knows we were here. I think we’ll match up OK if we see them in the playoffs.”
“South said they were going to play this one for pride and I’m sure they’re proud,” answered DeHart. “But we’re playing not for pride but to win a championship. I believe that made the difference.”
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NOTES: Rowan kept pace with Mocksville and is tied for second behind Concord. South is ninth. ... Rowan’s Drew Davis missed the game with a hip injury. ... It was scary in the second when a Brooks fastball rode in and hit Brian Hatley in the head and helmet. Hatley was down for several minutes but stayed in the game. ... Hayes had a rough night afield but a great night at the plate. He doubled twice and scored three times. ... The North player who can’t catch a break is Erik Mowery, who continues his struggle against fate. Mowery hit the ball sharply four more times for outs. ... Ben Hampton walked three times. South shortstop Jared Barnette made a great running catch in the first. ... On the night’s craziest play, Ronnie Shore hit a drive to left in the third that may have been another grand slam under normal wind conditions. Instead, Woodburn got back to make the catch, then cut down Derick Efird trying to advance from second to third. Cornelius tagged from third and scored on the play, an instant before Efird was tagged out.
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